Republicans beg Trump for help as he sits on $403 million war chest with midterms slipping away

Key Points:

• MAGA Inc., a dominant political action committee aligned with former President Trump, has made a rare campaign expenditure in Michigan to support Vice President JD Vance, signaling a potential increase in spending in battleground states ahead of the midterms.
• Despite Trump's large campaign war chest exceeding $400 million, he has largely withheld spending, causing frustration among Republicans who face tough races, especially in Texas where Trump's endorsed candidate Ken Paxton trails Democrat James Talarico significantly in fundraising.
• The delay in deploying funds limits options for party strategists as advertising costs rise closer to Election Day, and some key races may miss out on critical television ad buys, forcing MAGA Inc. to consider alternative outreach methods like digital ads and direct voter contact.
• Trump and his team insist that substantial financial support for Republican candidates is forthcoming, emphasizing the importance of winning the midterms, though Trump also benefits politically by maintaining a large cash reserve to exert influence within the GOP.
• Internal planning at MAGA Inc. remains incomplete, with no comprehensive campaign blueprint shared publicly, and spending so far has been minimal aside from targeted efforts in South Carolina, raising questions about the timing and scale of future expenditures.